He Said: "If you only ever aim for what you CAN do, you'll never reach the next level."She Said: Let's build a life together.

He Said: "You might just have to love me, even if I don't love you back."She Said: Hahaha! Don't EVER contact me again.

He Said: "I told you I didn't want to be in a relationship."She Said: Cool. Make sure you leave the key on your way out.

He said: "We don't need labels to define us. She Said: That works for me... for now.

He said: "There are parts of me you will never know."She Said: Who cares, let's see what happens.

Sometimes there are red flags, other times flags aren't needed, it's just said directly. Sometimes you have to guess and other times the truth is spelled out. I learned a lot about myself based on the relationships I was choosing. It told me where I was in my maturity, how I was teaching people to love me, what I was accepting, and what I was rejecting. And eventually I understood some of the best advice that I wish I could properly credit:

When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

The above five quotes are real. They come from the 5 serious (or otherwise, pivotal​) relationships of my life. I am marrying the first guy next year!